Wu Cheng-en - Journey to the West (vol. 1)

“Put it away if you like,” said the little devils, “but why all this playing for time?”

“I was just saying the spell and calling up the magic powers,” said Monkey. The little devils gazed wide-eyed, wondering how he was going to put the sky away. Monkey threw his imitation gourd up into the air. It was only a hair really, so you can imagine how light it was. As the winds round the mountain peak caught it, it floated in the air for an hour before landing. Meanwhile Prince Nezha was noisily spreading the Black Vulture Banner out at the Southern Gate of Heaven, obscuring the sun, the moon and the stars. Indeed:

Heaven and earth were dyed as black as ink;

The cosmos into darkness then did sink.

The two little devils were terrified. “When we were talking a moment ago,” they said, “it was midday. How could it be dusk now?”

“When the sky is put away,” said Monkey, “distinctions of time disappear. Of course it's murky.”

“But why's it so dark now?”

“The sun and the moon and the stars have all been put inside, so there's no light outside. It's bound to be dark.”

“Master,” said the little devils, “where is your voice coming from?”

“I'm just in front of you, aren't I?” said Monkey. The little devils stretched their hands out and felt him.

“We can hear you but we still can't see you. Where are we, Master?”

“Don't fidget,” said Monkey, hoodwinking them, “you're on the coast of the Bohai Sea. One slip and you'd fall for seven or eight days before hitting the bottom.”

The little devils were panic-struck. “Enough, enough. Let the sky out again. Now we know how it's put away. If you go on a moment too long and we fall into the sea we'll never get home.”

Splendid Monkey. As they were both convinced he said another spell that had an impact on Prince Nezha, who rolled the banner up again, revealing the noonday sun once more. “Fantastic,” exclaimed the little devils in delight, “fantastic. If we don't do a swap for this treasure we won't be looking after our family's interest.”

Dexterous Ghost handed over the gourd and Skilful Beast produced the vase. When they gave them both to Monkey he gave them his imitation gourd. The exchange had now been made, but Monkey wanted it to be final, so he plucked a hair from under his navel, blew a magic breath on it, and turned it into a copper coin. “Boys,” he said, “take this coin and buy a sheet of paper.”

“Why?” they asked.

“We'll write a legal contract for the exchange of your two man-holding treasures for my sky-holder,” said Monkey. “We each need a written agreement to prevent later regrets with the passage of time.”

“But there's no brush or ink here to write a contract with,” said the two little devils. “Let's swear an oath instead.”

“What sort of oath?” asked Monkey. ”

We exchange our two man-holding treasures for your sky-holder,” said the devils, “and if we ever have any regrets may we be struck with pestilence in all four seasons.”

“I certainly won't have any regrets,” chuckled Monkey. “If I do, may I too be struck with pestilence in all four seasons.” Having sworn his oath he leapt up, his tail in the air, and landed in front of the Southern Gate of Heaven, where he thanked Prince Nezha for helping him with the banner. The prince reported back to the palace and returned the banner to the True Martial God, leaving Monkey standing amid the stars and clouds, gazing at the little devils.

If you don't know how things turned out, listen to the explanation in the next installment.

The Demon King's Cunning Causes the Mind-Ape Trouble

The Great Sage Wins the Treasures Through Improvisation

With the imitation gourd in their hands the two little devils were quarrelling over who should examine it when they looked up and saw that Monkey had disappeared. “Brother,” said Skilful Beast, “even immortals tell lies sometimes. He said that when we'd swapped the treasures he would make us into immortals. How come he's vanished without a word?”

“We got ourselves a very good bargain,” said Dexterous Ghost, “and he would not dare disappear. Pass the gourd over-I want to put the sky in it and try it out.” He tossed the gourd into the air, but it came crashing down again, to the distress of Skilful Beast, who asked, “Why won't it take in the sky? Could it be that it was Sun the Novice disguised as an immortal, and that he swapped an imitation gourd for our real one?”

“Nonsense,” said Dexterous Ghost. “Sun the Novice is crushed under those three mountains. How could he possibly have got out? Pass the gourd over. I'll say the words of the spell he made and we'll put the sky inside.” He too then threw the gourd up into the air, saying, “If there's so much as a hint of a refusal I'll be coming up to the Hall of Miraculous Mist to give battle.” The gourd hit the ground before he could even finish saying the spell.

“The sky hasn't gone in,” they both said, “it must surely be a fake.”

Up in the sky the Great Sage Sun Wukong could hear every word they said and see all that was happening while they made this commotion. For fear that they would go on too long and let the news out where it mattered he shook himself and put the hair that had been turned into a gourd back on his body, leaving both the little devils completely empty-handed.

“Give me the gourd, brother,” said Dexterous Ghost.

“You give it me,” said Skilful Beast. “Heavens! It's disappeared!”

They both started to search wildly on the ground and in the grass, putting their hands in their sleeves and in their tunics, but it was nowhere to be found.

“Whatever shall we do,” said the two horror-struck little devils, “whatever shall we do? His Supreme Majesty gave them to us to catch Sun the Novice with. Now we haven't caught him and the treasures have disappeared. We can't report this to him or he'll have us beaten to death. Whatever are we going to do?”

“Let's run away,” said Skilful Beast.

“Where to?” asked Dexterous Ghost.

“Anywhere,” said Skilful Beast, “because if we go back and say that we've lost the treasures that'll obviously be the end of us.”

“No,” said Dexterous Ghost, “don't let's run away. Let's go back. Both their majesties are usually very fond of you, and I'll put in a word for you. If they are prepared to make allowances they'll spare your life. Even if we can't talk them out of having us beaten to death, at least they'll do it there, and we won't be caught between two stools. Let's go back.” Having made their minds up the two little demons set out back to their own mountain.

Monkey, watching them heading back from where he was up in the sky, shook himself and turned into a fly that flew down and followed them. Where, you may wonder, did he put his treasures now that he was a fly? Had he left them on the path or hidden them in the grass someone might have found them and taken them, and all his efforts would have been for nothing. So he kept them on his person. But a fly is only the size of a bean: how could he find room for them? Because those two treasures of his, like his gold-banded cudgel, were As-You-Will Buddha treasures that grow or shrink with you. That was why he could keep them on. He went buzzing along after the devils. Before long he was inside the cave, where the two demon kings were sitting and drinking.

The two little devils went up to them and knelt down. Monkey perched on the doorframe, listening. “Your Majesties,” said the little devils.

“So you're back,” said the Junior Demon King, putting down his cup.

“Yes,” said the little devils.

“Have you got Sun the Novice?” was the next question. The two little devils banged their heads on the ground, not daring to reply. The old devils asked again, and still they dared not answer, but just kept banging their heads on the ground.